THATBlog

From researching case law and precedent to consulting with clients to negotiating with insurance companies and opposing counsel, practicing law is dynamic and multifaceted. Does your approach include attorney marketing? This is key to increasing leads, conversions, and driving your firm to new levels of success.

How do you choose the a law firm marketing agency that will meet your needs?

1. Take Time to Evaluate Your Own Goals

Start at the beginning: with you and your objectives. You need to identify your target market and the attorney marketing goals you need to achieve. For example:

• How many new leads do you want to target in the next month, quarter, six months, and year?

• How many new clients do you want to convert in these periods of time?

• What are your revenue goals?

• How do you want your firm - your brand - to be perceived?

• Do you have content assets that will help you establish credibility and authority? How can you develop more?

• Do you have the capabilities to convert leads? What support/help do you need?

Clarify. If you go into a partnership without a solid idea of what you need to achieve, you won’t have a benchmark by which to measure results (more on that in a moment).

2. Make Sure the Agency Has Experience In Attorney Marketing

Marketing is marketing, right? Well… no. Law firms are a different beast, if you will. They do need to build trust and credibility, as any brand does, but they also operate under some unique conditions (e.g., confidentiality, highly specialized service areas, etc.). Your agency partner should have experience in the nuances of attorney marketing.

A few questions to ask while you’re interviewing potential agencies:

• What are some website best practices unique to law firms?

• What are some ideal keywords to help boost visibility and traffic?

• How can we build a strong backlink strategy (i.e., sites that link back to your site)?

• What legal directories should we maintain an active presence in?

• Do you publish legal content (blogs, whitepapers, eBooks, etc.)?

• Do you represent other law firms in this area?

• Can you provide me with proof of results (e.g. how they helped a law firm boost visibility and conversions)?

3. Look Into Services

When potential clients are searching for lawyers, they want to know about service areas. Can you help them with their specific needs? The same holds true when you are looking for a marketing agency. Do they “practice” in the areas you need? SEO? Social media? Digital advertising? Organic search? Pay-per-click? Ask about their strengths - and any areas in which they are not as specialized. A reputable agency will be glad to answer thoroughly and honestly.

On a related note, inquire about the scope of their services. Do they handle strategy and planning and leave execution to you? There’s not a wrong answer, per se, but make sure the agency has the capacity and capability to handle your needs, whatever they encompass.

4. Ask How the Law Firm Marketing Agency Works

What kind of engagement can you expect from your marketing agency? What kind of engagement do you you need? What are their processes and policies in terms of lead generation, content development, PPC, SEO, and other critical aspects of your attorney marketing strategy?

As important as what they do is how they do it. Will they meet with you in person or via video chat if you need them? How regularly do they report to you, and how? Will you have a dedicated point person/account manager (the answer should be “Yes!”)? How do you contact this person? How do they track and report performance and results?

Know what you can expect, and determine whether it meets your needs.

5. Do Your Lawyer Thing: Check That Contract

Checking on fee structures and terms of agreement is essential, as you well know. Before you commit, ask about:

• The minimum contract length for services?

• Can you arrange month-by-month services, at least until you confirm the agency’s efficacy?

• How can you exit the partnership if it is not working to your expectations?

• What key performance indicators are you using to evaluate success (e.g. web traffic, leads, search engine rankings, etc.)?

• How do they assess fees (e.g. monthly or by the hour)? Is there a minimum?

• Will fees be consistent month to month?

• Can you dial services down or up as needed?

• If expectations are not met, what does this mean in terms of payment?

As a lawyer, you know surprises are never a good thing! Don’t get caught off guard by unclear language or questions left unasked.

A digital presence that is just as robust as your in-person presence is a must. Consult with an experienced law firm marketing agency and achieve the results you need for your practice. Contact THAT Agency today.